Biology

Seel is a pinniped Pokémon with a thick hide covered in bluish white fur. It has a pale tan maw with a large red tongue and a pair of tusks on its lower jaw. It has circular eyes and a black nose that is capable of closing while Seel swims. There is a small horn on its forehead, which it uses in combination with its tusks to bore through ice floes. It has two flippers on its chest, and two more on the end of its tail. When the tail is raised, it resembles a waterspout.

Seel lives on icebergs in frigid ocean waters. Its warm fur and thick hide allow it to swim in waters as cold as -40°F.. It thrives in these cold environments, becoming more active as the temperature drops. Preferring to sleep during the day, it hunts for prey under sheets of ice in the late day and evening hours. While it is a graceful swimmer, it is awkward and struggles to move on dry land.

In the manga

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

In Pokémon Adventures, Seel is the first Pokémon Lorelei owned. As a child, Lorelei saw her Seel become poisoned due to the effects of nearby industrialization. Agatha, who was passing by, healed the Seel using her Gastly. This encounter with the negative effects that humanity had on Pokémon would be the motivation Lorelei had to join the Elite Four in a plot to destroy all humanity years later.

Trivia

Seel can be seen as a parallel to Spheal. Seel is exclusive to Pokémon Diamond, while Spheal is exclusive to Pokémon Pearl, with both found in the same locations in their respective versions. Additionally, both can only be obtained by breeding their evolved forms in Pokémon Platinum. Both Pokémon also appear to be based on Pinnipeds.

Origin

Seel is based on seal pups, bearing resemblance to a newborn harp seal. The horn on the top of Seel's head may also be loosely based on the narwhal.